Imagine that you’re rocketing down a 400-foot snow-covered slope, lying flat on your back in a canvas-covered tube. As you knife through the falling snow, the only thing louder than your squeals of delight are the screams of pure joy coming from your kids in the next lane. Or was that shriek from your best friend?
It’s called snow tubing, Smoky Mountains style, and it’s the newest reason to make the trek to Ober Gatlinburg for an unforgettable adventure this winter.
Located atop Mt. Harrison in the Great Smoky Mountains, Ober Gatlinburg has opened its new ten-lane snow tubing park and is drawing crowds of snow tubing enthusiasts.
Even better than you remember when you were a kid and on a much bigger hill with its own Magic Carpet lift back to the top of the hill, this $1.5 million dollar facility is one of the finest in the south, with the capacity to host several hundred visitors per session and 100 percent snowmaking coverage adding to the experience. The park is lit for nighttime fun and just one more reason to visit the Smokies this winter.
Race your family or friends down the snow tubing course which drops five stories, double up with your young adventurer, or give Mom the opportunity to push Dad down a mountain. Get ready to laugh until it hurts in this must-do experience for all ages, then ride back to the top of the trail! Please note that guests must be three years old or 42 inches tall to participate in snow tubing.
There’s even an observation area with food service and restrooms for non-tubers to snap pictures and share the fun.
The snow tubing park is one of many enhancements at Ober Gatlinburg this season.
Ober has acquired 25 new HKD snowguns. These “stick guns” are mounted on 30 foot adjustable poles which give the snow crystals (shooting from the top of the snowgun’s six nozzles) more time to freeze as they fall further to the ground. Ober staff tested several of these guns last winter and found them to be very energy-efficient as they require far less air to operate than older models of snowguns.
Ober Gatlinburg has also purchased a Bombardier BR-350 snow groomer for the slopes, a machine which offers more power and versatility to anything seen in East Tennessee before.
Also, one of Ober’s smaller Bombardier BR-250 machines has been reconfigured for grooming the tubing hill.
As for the skiing and snowboarding slopes, Ober Gatlinburg has redesigned the unloading area for the Red Lift, and has improved the entry access into both Cub Way and Castle Run as well as dramatically widened the access from Bear Run into Cub Way.
Also, last year the resort completed a multi-year project to replace and upgrade their entire ski and snowboard rental equipment, and as Ober Gatlinburg continues to take advantage of new technology, the facility has now converted 17 percent of its ski rental inventory to the BYS system for this season. Among the advantages of this setup is a quicker process to get through the rental room and onto the slopes faster, and with better fitting rental boots.
If you’ve had enough of the snow, Ober’s new nocturnal house ($5 admission) includes viewing of various species of native wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, flying squirrels, turtles, and snakes, plus there are three river otters in the aquatic exhibit. Eventually birds of prey, bobcat, fox and other native species will also have homes at this new facility.
For more information call 865-436-5423 or visit www.obergatlinburg.com.
Loading ...
